Beau Sideshttps://www.beausides.com
Lessons from China
Wed, 15 May 2019 20:40:37 +0000 en-US
hourly
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323258806343New Sights to Seehttps://www.beausides.com/new-sights-to-see/
https://www.beausides.com/new-sights-to-see/#respondWed, 15 May 2019 20:40:37 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3751On my last trip to Asia, the best airfare I could find had me going through Doha, Qatar, on Qatar Air. I thought it would be interesting to see a new country, so I was pleased to find an inexpensive flight, and it was booked. Would you like to see Doha? My apologies for the […]

]]>On my last trip to Asia, the best airfare I could find had me going through Doha, Qatar, on Qatar Air. I thought it would be interesting to see a new country, so I was pleased to find an inexpensive flight, and it was booked. Would you like to see Doha?

My apologies for the quality of this photo, but since it is so hot in Qatar, all of the windows to the exterior of the airport were treated to block some of the sun. I can’t imagine how hot it gets there during their summer months! Hopefully you can make out some of the tall buildings in the background. This photo doesn’t display how large an area Doha’s skyscrapers occupied, but trust me, it was expansive.

During my flight to Qatar, I found it interesting that one of the options on your personal entertainment screen was the Quran. Also, when I arrived in the Doha airport, I learned that women had a separate prayer room from men, as you can see from the sign suspended from the ceiling. Obviously I don’t know much at all about the culture in Qatar!

Doha’s airport was modern and clean, and it had several play areas for children. One of the interesting observances I had while there were all of the upscale shopping options. Also, within the airport, very tall palm trees were growing. One person told me that most of the hourly workers at the Doha airport were people from Syria. I don’t know if that was true or not, but the person that told me this has traveled extensively, so I believed him.

So far my trip was going well. But you will need to read my blog scheduled for the 15th of June to see if my good fortune continued!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/new-sights-to-see/feed/03751What an Honorhttps://www.beausides.com/what-an-honor/
https://www.beausides.com/what-an-honor/#respondTue, 30 Apr 2019 08:30:42 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3659In 2018 when I tried to visit the area of China where Mrs. Xu, the widow Global Partners in Life has supported the longest, lives, there was a surprise snow storm, so I was unable to visit. I was told my flight to the city may make it in, but there was no way I […]

]]>In 2018 when I tried to visit the area of China where Mrs. Xu, the widow Global Partners in Life has supported the longest, lives, there was a surprise snow storm, so I was unable to visit. I was told my flight to the city may make it in, but there was no way I would make it out, so I decided not to go.

A few weeks ago I returned to China, and I went to visit Mrs. Xu. In the photo above, she is the lady on the right. Unfortunately, she had some bad health news!

What I didn’t know is that Mrs. Xu had been having a thyroid problem, and her physician told her she needed surgery. Mrs. Xu didn’t have the money for the operation, so she had no plan other than her prayers.

Since I hadn’t seen Mrs. Xu in 2018, when I saw her a few weeks ago I had our financial support from 2018 and 2019! Mrs. Xu was extremely thankful to receive the gift from the generous donors of Global Partners in Life, because now she had enough money for the simple procedure she needed to have done.

When she visited the surgeon, he told her there was one medicine he wanted to try before doing surgery. Mrs. Xu started taking the new drug, and her condition is improving! For now, there is no surgery scheduled for her!

For Mrs. Xu, I want to extend a huge thank you to the people that are so generous to Global Partners in Life and enable us to help a widow in China with a medical need she couldn’t provide for by herself!

Truly, helping someone in need is an amazingly good feeling!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/what-an-honor/feed/03659The Year of the Pighttps://www.beausides.com/the-year-of-the-pig/
https://www.beausides.com/the-year-of-the-pig/#respondMon, 15 Apr 2019 08:40:59 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3545Recently I returned from a trip in China right after their Spring Festival, which marks the start of their Lunar New Year. As you may know, there are a dozen characters that make up the revolving zodiac representatives of each new year. Many in China can tell your age, if you tell them which zodiac […]

]]>Recently I returned from a trip in China right after their Spring Festival, which marks the start of their Lunar New Year. As you may know, there are a dozen characters that make up the revolving zodiac representatives of each new year. Many in China can tell your age, if you tell them which zodiac animal represented the year in which you were born. Would you like to know which year’s animal represented the year in which I was born?

That is right! I was born in the year of the pig! Can you see the resemblance? With my eating habits and the way I kept my college room, well, the irony is overwhelming!

Pigs are apparently playful, as you can see here and in the next photo! Who knew?

The culture in China would dictate that I wear the color red often this entire year. You should have good luck when it is the year of the animal representing the year you were born, and you should wear red clothes frequently! That enhances your good luck, and maybe people will notice this is your year!

Oh, and one last photo of a cool pig indeed!

Happy Year of the Pig!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/the-year-of-the-pig/feed/03545In Desperate Need of Assistancehttps://www.beausides.com/in-desperate-need-of-assistance/
https://www.beausides.com/in-desperate-need-of-assistance/#respondFri, 29 Mar 2019 08:40:55 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3449Most of my blogs about the work of Global Partners in Life are centered around orphans and special needs orphans we support. We are not limited to only serving the children, and we also serve another demographic group. Do you know who they are? Global Partners in Life has been supporting widows in China, and […]

]]>Most of my blogs about the work of Global Partners in Life are centered around orphans and special needs orphans we support. We are not limited to only serving the children, and we also serve another demographic group. Do you know who they are?

Global Partners in Life has been supporting widows in China, and after my first visit to India, we started assisting widows in India as well. Would you like to hear more about them?

When we entered the slums, I was introduced to a widow who had lost her husband to tuberculosis. She has 5 daughters, and the youngest girl is a deaf-mute. It is believed surgery would restore the little girl’s hearing, and that would help her to become verbal, but the mom can’t afford the surgery. Nineteen days before we arrived, the winds and rain from the monsoon season literally ripped their home in half. In the photo above, you can see the debris field left from their home being destroyed.

Not too long after I returned home from the trip, India was hit with a devastating cyclone named Titli. As you can see in the photo above, there was widespread flooding and damaged homes of widows living in the slums.

Through the contributions from the wonderful supporters of Global Partners in Life, we were able to provide care packages and desperately needed supplies for the widows that lost their homes and possessions from the cyclone!

After I learned more about the widow’s situations, I told my friend in India it was on my heart to provide a permanent structure above the flood zone for the widows. My friend told me that was also on his heart, so we are making plans to provide a facility for the widows in India. I look forward to telling you more about this project as it develops!

Thanks so much to the friends of Global Partners in Life that enable us to provide hope to the hopeless!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/in-desperate-need-of-assistance/feed/03449The Land of Hindu Templeshttps://www.beausides.com/the-land-of-hindu-temples/
https://www.beausides.com/the-land-of-hindu-temples/#respondFri, 15 Mar 2019 08:40:07 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3376As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I have had my first trip to India. After being picked up at the airport, I was taken to a retail area because the people picking me up needed to do some shopping. Although I was somewhat prepared for all of the horn blowing, since I have been […]

]]>As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I have had my first trip to India. After being picked up at the airport, I was taken to a retail area because the people picking me up needed to do some shopping. Although I was somewhat prepared for all of the horn blowing, since I have been to China many times, there were many other sights, sounds, and smells that were quite unique. Would you like to know what some of them were?

Directly across the street from where my friends were shopping, there was a Hindu temple. This particular one was very colorful, and I could smell the incense being burned for quite a distance! I was surprised by how frequently I saw the temples around India. They came in many shapes, sizes, and colors! Would you like to see more?

The dome on this temple was probably 4 stories high.I promise you, I wouldn’t want to use the ladder you see built into the dome! The weather in this area is VERY warm and humid, so I am sure the view from on the dome would be full of greenery and many different forms of plants, but I wouldn’t climb the dome just for the view!

This plaque was mounted inside a store. I am told one of the gods the Hindu worship is called the elephant god, and this plaque is for the elephant god. You can see where the holes are in and around the plaque for holding incense, which is burned for the elephant god.

India is full of many bright colors, interesting new smells, and wonderful people. I hope to share more with you about my time there!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/the-land-of-hindu-temples/feed/03376A New Orphanage in Indiahttps://www.beausides.com/a-new-orphanage-in-india/
https://www.beausides.com/a-new-orphanage-in-india/#respondThu, 28 Feb 2019 09:40:46 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3253As I mentioned in a previous blog, I recently had my first visit to India. The day before I left, the friend I was meeting there notified me that there was a newborn baby at the orphanage they were taking me to see. This baby had been delivered behind some bushes in a local public […]

]]>As I mentioned in a previous blog, I recently had my first visit to India. The day before I left, the friend I was meeting there notified me that there was a newborn baby at the orphanage they were taking me to see. This baby had been delivered behind some bushes in a local public park, and then just left there. I was asked to bring some necessary items for the baby, which I quickly went out to purchase. Would you like to see her?

When this photo was taken, she was about 2 weeks old! The orphanage she is in was recently opened, and they are already doing amazing things! They are fully staffed, and are already running out of room. They can only have 10 children there at one time, and they have been successful in seeing many of the children under their care adopted by loving families! Would you like to see more from this new orphanage?

This new orphanage is very clean and organized, and the staff seems to truly love the children. I am thankful and honored to say that Global Partners in Life is now financially supporting this orphanage!

In the photo above, you can see some of the children that have had life-saving care provided for them at this orphanage! I was quite impressed with the leaders, caregivers, and the facility. Thanks to the people that give generously to Global Partners in Life, these children had a place where they can receive the care, food, love, and nurturing they need 24 hours a day!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/a-new-orphanage-in-india/feed/03253Dining in Indiahttps://www.beausides.com/dining-in-india/
https://www.beausides.com/dining-in-india/#respondFri, 15 Feb 2019 09:40:06 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3249In the previous blog for January, you learned that I went to India when I left China last fall. You have heard me tell many stories about the delicious meals in China, so I thought I would share with you some of my dining experiences in India. Would you like to see a normal meal? […]

]]>In the previous blog for January, you learned that I went to India when I left China last fall. You have heard me tell many stories about the delicious meals in China, so I thought I would share with you some of my dining experiences in India. Would you like to see a normal meal?

As we entered the restaurant for my first meal in India, I noticed that along the wall the restaurant had many sinks. Since you eat with your hands in India, the restaurant provides you with many opportunities to wash your hands near your table. The meal in the photo above was curry. It is common to have a bowl of rice served with the curry. So, the process is for you to use the stainless steel tray as your plate. You will put the rice on the tray, and then place the different curry dishes on the tray as well. This is the interesting part: you will then mix the curry with the rice with your hands and, when it gets to a good consistency, you will pick up the rice and curry ball with your hand and put it into your mouth.

I must say the food was delicious! On this trip I used both chopsticks in China and then my hands in India to eat my meals. Don’t be fooled, eating with your hands is more difficult than you may think. If you have any loose rice stuck to your hand, it may fall off as you put the food in your mouth. Trust me about this! Sometimes you will also have some flat bread with the meal, which has a wonderful flavor!

Getting a cup of hot chai is very common in India. The photo above was taken from a street vendor, and they have a special way to mix the tea and milk as it comes to a foamy head. If I remember correctly, the procedure actually has the chai foaming up a couple of times. While walking around the streets in India, I could smell the chai being prepared in many places.

Hopefully you enjoyed our tour of dining and beverages in India! I look forward to sharing more with you about India in the future!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/dining-in-india/feed/03249A Heartwarming Momenthttps://www.beausides.com/a-heartwarming-moment/
https://www.beausides.com/a-heartwarming-moment/#respondWed, 30 Jan 2019 09:40:36 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3197There is a young boy named Xiao Wei at the special needs orphanage supported by Global Partners in Life. He is about five years old, and he is blind . . . but I don’t think he knows it. He constantly amazes me by how well he can walk and function inside the orphanage. He […]

]]>There is a young boy named Xiao Wei at the special needs orphanage supported by Global Partners in Life. He is about five years old, and he is blind . . . but I don’t think he knows it. He constantly amazes me by how well he can walk and function inside the orphanage. He loves to dance and wrestle with his friends, and he has a very soft and sweet voice. Would you like to meet him? In the photograph below he is actually dancing!

When I was there in December, I asked him in Chinese if he knew my name. With his innocent voice, he clearly said Beau. I gave him a hug and congratulated him and I was patting his shoulder when he took my hand. He had never done that before with me, but I could tell he wanted to lead me. We walked around the orphanage, and he led the entire way!

My apologies for the poor quality of the picture above, but I was walking, holding Xiao Wei’s hand, and trying to take the picture with my left hand. Yes, I am right handed. Hopefully you can tell this is Xiao Wei leading me around his home, and I couldn’t have been happier!

The main reason I was at the special needs orphanage that day was to provide financial support for the children and the staff. Through the contributions of our generous donors, Global Partners in Life keeps the children who can go to school in school. We pay for their school fees, lunches, books, supplies, and uniforms. Also, we pay for the children’s food, utilities, toiletries, and the salaries of their caregivers. On this day I also provided Christmas gifts for the children! It was a fantastic day for all of us!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/a-heartwarming-moment/feed/03197New Territories to Explorehttps://www.beausides.com/new-territories-to-explore/
https://www.beausides.com/new-territories-to-explore/#respondTue, 15 Jan 2019 09:40:08 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3153As Global Partners in Life looks for new opportunities to have a greater impact around the world, this fall I went to India. With some research I had done earlier in the year, I learned the worst conditions for orphans were in India. That piqued my interest — and luckily I had a contact that […]

]]>As Global Partners in Life looks for new opportunities to have a greater impact around the world, this fall I went to India. With some research I had done earlier in the year, I learned the worst conditions for orphans were in India. That piqued my interest — and luckily I had a contact that was in India — so when I left China, I went to India.

Upon arriving in India, it was as though my senses were being overloaded! There were so many new sights, sounds, colors, and smells, so I was thankful I had a little traveling to other countries to prepare me for India. All that I was absorbing was fascinating! Oh, and did I mention the heat and humidity? I was there during the monsoon season, so it literally rained every day I was there and it felt like about 96 degrees Fahrenheit! So the combination of heat and humidity was impressive daily!

One of the first things that caught my eye was how animals of all shapes and sizes roam freely through the streets and shopping areas. This really was a funny story in the photo above. The man seated by the tree was selling corn, and the cow wanted some of his corn. To accommodate the cow, but not give away his best merchandise, the man put some of the corn husks and trimmings on the ground. He had a large bag of good corn on the other side of the tree. The cow took what he could easily get on the ground, and when the man became engaged with a customer, the cow went around to the other side of the tree and ate some of the man’s good corn!

Another thing that caught my eye was how elaborately the long distance hauling trucks were decorated. These trucks would be taller that the ones we see in the States, and sometimes their cargo was stacked on top of the trailers, with large nets trying to hold everything on the trailer. On the back of almost all of these large trucks would be the request to please blow your horn. The drivers of the trucks would have a very difficult time seeing you, so they politely ask for you to blow your horn when you approach them.

I am sure we will have many more stories about my trip to India! Hopefully you will enjoy the culture as much as I did!

]]>https://www.beausides.com/new-territories-to-explore/feed/03153Spreading Christmas Cheerhttps://www.beausides.com/spreading-christmas-cheer/
https://www.beausides.com/spreading-christmas-cheer/#respondMon, 31 Dec 2018 09:30:30 +0000https://www.beausides.com/?p=3176The donors of Global Partners in Life truly came through for the special needs orphans in China! Through their generous contributions, together we were able to provide for the children and staff in many ways! Would you like to see some of them? In the photograph above, you can see some of the toys, diapers, […]

]]>The donors of Global Partners in Life truly came through for the special needs orphans in China! Through their generous contributions, together we were able to provide for the children and staff in many ways! Would you like to see some of them?

In the photograph above, you can see some of the toys, diapers, and clothes purchased for the children. The main request for gifts this year was for new warm clothes, since the children’s old clothes were worn and thin.

As you can see, blue jeans, coats, and jackets were purchased for the children during my trip in December. It was eleven degrees below zero Fahrenheit when I was in the city, so warm clothes are critical!

Out of all of the toys that were given to the children that day, I think the yo-yos were the biggest hit. These yo-yos were special, because they had some type of a plastic device you could insert into the center and then wrap the string around it. With the plastic device in place, the children could have the yo-yo spin in hesitation mode for a very long period of time, which enabled them to do some pretty cool tricks!

When I entered the orphanage, the leader and children came to greet me. Many of them were speaking and the leader started laughing. She told me that one of the children asked if I had brought them anything to eat, since I always bring them some chocolate from America. Obviously, I quickly passed out the miniature chocolate candy bars!

It was great seeing my young friends again! I am very thankful for the many gifts from our donors which enabled the children to have a great Christmas! We were also able to provide for the children’s food, utilities, toiletries, cleaning supplies, medical needs, and for the caregivers that serve the children daily.